When two teenagers are found brutally murdered on the island of Lidingö, dressed in white tunics and wearing crowns of candles, former French police officer Maïa Rehn joins local Commissioner Aleksander Storm to unravel a mystery with a shockingly dark heart. The highly anticipated sequel to the international bestselling gothic mystery, Yule Island.
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Twenty-three years ago, a young woman was murdered on the Swedish island of Lidingö.
The island has kept its silence.
Until now…
As autumn deepens into darkness in Lidingö, on the Stockholm archipelago, the island is plunged into chaos: in the space of a week, two teenaged boys are murdered. Their bodies are left deep in the forest, dressed in white tunics with crowns of candles on their heads, like offerings to Saint Lucia.
Maïa Rehn has fled Paris for Lidingö after a family tragedy. But when the murders shake the island community, the former police commissioner is drawn into the heart of the investigation, joining Commissioner Aleksander Storm to unravel a mystery as chilling as the Nordic winter.
As they dig deeper, it becomes clear that a wind of vengeance is blowing through the archipelago, unearthing secrets that are as scandalous as they are inhuman.
But what if the victims weren't who they seemed? What if those long silenced have finally found a way to strike back?
How far would they go to make their tormentors pay?
And you – how far would you go?
What did I think?
Scars of Silence is the second book in the Lidingö Mysteries series, however, it can definitely be read as a standalone as I haven't read Yule Island but I was completely blown away by this breathtaking book.
What starts out as a murder mystery turns into something much darker and devastating. I don't think I have made a note of so many quotes when reading a book. Johana Gustawsson's eloquent words have been beautifully translated by David Warriner to stun and provoke the reader as the shocks and reveals just keep on coming.
I was completely mesmerised by the writing and hooked by the plot but I am pleased that I read Scars of Silence as part of a readalong as it gave me a chance to devour and digest the words I had read each day. I even flicked back to revisit a few pages that were particularly affecting and memorable for me. So, thank you to Orenda Books for inviting me to take part.
Both main characters have a lot going on in their personal life in addition to investigating a recent spate of murders that seem to be mirroring a convicted crime from the past. My heart was breaking for Maïa as her tragic story was revealed and I didn't realise how much I had come to care about Aleksander until he experiences a devastating event in his own life.
Powerful, haunting and oh so very thought-provoking, Scars of Silence is an outstanding book that hooked me from the start and kept packing the punches in, leaving me completely devastated and stunned at the end. I will definitely be adding Yule Island to my TBR and more than likely every other book that Johana Gustawsson has written.
A very highly recommended read that is absolutely unmissable and completely unforgettable.
I received a gifted paperback for the Orenda Books Readalong and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
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